The Long and Winding Road
by Supersaiyaninfinitygohan
Summary: Many would see Saiyan power as a gift from above. But what of those who despise their heritage? Those who were treated like a mongrel because of it? Hunted and feared, what can a young Saiyan survivor do, but keep moving forward?
1. The Last Night

**The Long and Winding Road**

 **Chapter 1**

 **The Last Night**

* * *

King Vegeta was not a man to be easily impressed. As the longest reigning monarch of his people he had seen the goriest of battles span entire worlds many times over, leading several of them in fact, and in them warriors that could decimate an entire platoon with nary a thought.

There were a select few in the universe whom King Vegeta would declare "powerful" or "deadly". The number of races as a whole he counted worthy of these terms were even fewer, most likely less than a handful.

The Marakins were most definitely not among these select few.

"And as you can- uh- see, your greatnes-highness, we, um… our troops that is…" The lizard-like emissary had scaly green skin and large, yellow fly-like eyes. Dressed in fine, orange clothing, portrayed his distinguished position among his more dully dressed kin. These troops in particular, wearing old battle armour, hid any sign of disappointment towards their political escort and simply stood on guard, much like King Vegeta's men.

Rolling his eyes, the monarch took a golden chalice of wine, held for him by a Saiyan boy beside his throne, and took a long sip, the sensation of light alcohol almost drowning out the fool's worried jabbering.

King Vegeta sighed loudly with satisfaction, shutting up the alien emissary at last, and handed the cup back to the boy before standing up and declaring, "Your army, Lord Bekon, is made up of some of the most disappointingly weak members in a large portion of the Northern Galaxy. They have large numbers, however, making them useful as little else than cannon fodder in a revolution against Frieza."

Bekon cowered, taking a step back before bowing on both knees once more, attempting an apology before King Vegeta incinerated him with a single motion of his hand.

No one so much as flinched.

"Now is there anyone among you, with a spine preferably, who can make me reconsider turning away your offer?" King Vegeta asked openly, a moment or so passing before a mind-boggling large Marakin stepped forward and introduced himself with a hiss.

"I am Sargent Ham, leader of over three thousand of our finest troops. I swear to you, King Vegeta, we are more than capable of dealing with the masses of Frieza's main troops. I myself could handle several hundred. Do not let a single, spineless dignitary stand in the way of forming an allegiance with us! It would be most unwise to turn away desperately needed aid, or bring our ire upon your people…"

King Vegeta calmly returned to his seat, retrieving his chalice from his young cupbearer once more and taking another long sip, Ham silently growling at the disrespect.

Wiping a trickle of wine from his beard with his forearm, King Vegeta roughly handed the cup back and ignored the creature's threat as he commanded, "Prove it. Show me your oh so mighty power that could end the lives of so many soldiers in an instant."

Sargent Ham grinned, cracking his large knuckles and responding, "But point out the opponent for me, your majesty."

King Vegeta looked around the room, seeing many of his statue-like warriors itching for a fight, some simply signifying a desire to prove themselves with a twitch of their fingers as they stared the brute down. The royal wanted nothing more than to put the Sargent in his place, even seeing one of his men do it would be enough for him, but he relented. King Vegeta needed to gain allies, and fast.

Frieza was no fool. He knew just as well as Vegeta that the Saiyan populace was not only growing rapidly but was also growing more rowdy as each day passed. They hated being under the tyrant's thumb, being treated like cattle. A revolution was coming, and the Saiyans would undoubtedly be on the front lines.

He couldn't cause further tension between the Saiyans and the Marakins, not at so crucial a point. If anything, he needed to make the commander feel better, give him something to brag about, like defeating a Saiyan of the royal court. That was always something to talk about.

But no one present would dare fake a fight, even under their king's orders. He himself expected no less. What would the point be in fighting a war if they lost their pride along the way?

Smiling, King Vegeta realized he needed another drink in order to gain more thinking time in a situation that was slowly growing awkward with his silence. However, when he reached for more alcohol, his hand found no chalice.

"Forgive me, sire. There is no more wine present. I can have more brought if you like," the young Saiyan cupbearer offered, going on one knee, eyes to the floor.

About to wave off the youth, King Vegeta stopped himself as an idea struck, a small grin appearing on his features.

"That won't be necessary, uh…" The monarch stopped, searching for the slim preteen's name.

"Yuken, sire." The child responded, looking up slightly, revealing dark blue eyes and a buzz saw-like hairstyle.

Ignoring the odd eye colour, King Vegeta continued, "Ah yes, Yuken. I have another task for you." Yuken stood, hand to his breast as he looked up at his king, unsure of what the monarch was getting at. The older Saiyan slowly pointed to a surprised Sargent Ham, the king commanding, "I want you to give your all against our new friend. Show him what it means to take the Saiyans lightly."

The Marakins began a small laughing fit, taking the situation as some sort of joke. When Yuken gave a nod and stepped forward, however, they stopped laughing. The situation suddenly seemed like more of an insult.

"A child? A servant no less? What kind of warrior do you take me for? Give me a real fighter!" Ham demanded, forgetting his place in the room, a number of royal guards scowling at the Sargent for this but remained still. It wasn't their place to act without King Vegeta's orders.

"Observe his attire. Isn't it just like everyone else's?" The monarch questioned rhetorically, gesturing to the boy's blue cape and black armour as the child walked over. "He's a Saiyan of the royal court, not someone to be taken lightly. Now, prove yourself and your people worthy of my partnership. That is, of course, if you're up to the task."

King Vegeta never liked this boy. Since the child's first day of service, there had been something off about him. His royal guard seemed to torment Yuken about something, but he never cared to ask what about as long as the king himself wasn't inconvenienced. Still, somehow, the brat peeved him to no end with his mannerisms. So obedient and quiet, no lust for battle in those eyes.

"Oh and by the way," King Vegeta began as the combatants entered fighting stances, the larger of the two seemingly taking the battle more seriously now. "This will be a fight to the death, so I suggest neither of you hold back."

Doing away with one more weakling was no skin off his back.

The child and brute stared each other down, both their tails twitching in anticipation. Not waiting for any sort of signal, Ham jumped in with a yell, hitting the child square in the gut. Yuken fell over immediately afterwards, clutching his abdomen and spit flying from his mouth as his opponent took a step back, shaking his head.

The child slowly wobbled back onto his feet, the Marakins cheering their Sargent on as Yuken retaliated with a fist reeled back, the Sargent predicting the incoming punch easily and stepping to the side, bringing up his knee just in time to strike the youth in the stomach again, Yuken almost vomiting as he fell to the ground once more.

Placing his foot on the Saiyan's head, Ham turned to King Vegeta and inquired, "This is the epitome of your species? Pathetic."

King Vegeta was not impressed, none of the Saiyans were. Going so far as to stand up from his chair, the monarch demanded, "Boy, stop fooling around! I said take this fight seriously!"

Raising an eyebrow, Ham was caught off-guard when Yuken abruptly burst into the air, landing an upwards punch on the alien's jaw. The lizard-like brute found himself shuddering in pain once more as a kick landed in the center of his chest, the alien hoping it wouldn't cave in under the sudden force.

Struggling to breathe and hobbling backwards, Ham felt several hands from his group helping him stand. Pulling away from his allies, the Sargent wiped the spittle from his mouth to see his opponent waiting patiently in the center of the room, unfazed by the monster's earlier attacks.

Growling, Sargent Ham declared, "You caught me off-guard with your little act before, but now you're going to see what I can really do!"

The creature began to power up, a bright purple glow enveloping his muscular form, his fists clenched as he drew upon his power reserves. Screaming as his ki reached its max, Ham's attempt to power up was abruptly cut short, a blow to the stomach that making him bowl over in agony. Yuken slowly retracted his fist to find a permanent mark in the green brute's abdominals.

Coming face to face with the Sargent's bug-like, now bulging and teary eyes, Yuken simply maintained his angry stare as the creature gasped in torment.

"Finish him already," King Vegeta ordered, chin resting on his palm and none too pleased with this turn of events.

Complying, the adolescent raised his palm and prepared a small ball of white ki, a blast erupting upwards from it soon after and engulfing Ham's head.

The Sargent's body fell over a moment later, his corpse's neck still charred and smoking.

The room was silent for a few seconds, the Marakins unable to comprehend their Sargent had lost so easily to a child. Many of the lizard-like aliens recoiled in fear while others clenched their fists in anger. Yet, none moved towards the monstrous child.

"I've seen enough. You can all leave now," King Vegeta stated in a gruff tone, the Marakin warriors not so much as bowing before they left, only one soldier caring to carry their higher-up's body away.

Once all the aliens had left, the room grew silent, a slight tension growing in the air as Yuken remained in his spot, awaiting any further orders.

Giving a small growl, the king commanded, "You've done enough for today, child. Leave my sight."

Yuken gave a simple bow and left without saying a word, the child's calm attitude truly beginning to wear thin on the king's patience.

"Chicory," King Vegeta said the moment Yuken exited, gaining the attention of the guard to his left.

"My lord?" The tall Saiyan in question responded with a small bow, turning to face his king.

"That child… Yuken was it? What is the reading on his power level?" The king questioned, intrigued to know more about this mysterious servant.

"Sir, the last time the boy's power level was measured, it was over one thousand. I believe it may have something to do with his half-breed blood, your majesty."

King Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise at this news. The eye colour now made sense. On top of that the general teasing and his own instinctual distrust of the demi-Saiyan.

"Hmph. It seems that this mixture of Saiyan and… what's his other half exactly?" King Vegeta inquired, beginning to realize how little he knew of this strange boy.

"We're… not sure your majesty. No one has pried that far deeply into the boy's personal matters, to put it lightly," Chicory answered truthfully, thinking back himself to the number of times he mocked the child for his heritage.

"Whatever his other half is, it seems to have given him an advantage in power. To be so much stronger than other children his age…" Vegeta paused, thinking things over.

While not as impressive as his own son's power, Yuken's power was near that of a grunt soldier, something that should not have been attainable to such a low class wretch for years to come. If he could cultivate this new breed of half Saiyans, grow an army of warriors greater than what he had now, in two short decades he could crush Frieza and his forces like they were nothing.

But he didn't have two decades. He was lucky if he had two months. And the long-term effects of having a race so much stronger than the pure-blooded Saiyans could mean the toppling of his own royal lineage…

"I won't take any chances," the king declared, looking up and forwards. "I want this boy, to be taken care of. Discretely. He and his kind pose too great a danger to my plans. Kill him and tell the troops be on the lookout for any other half-breeds. They will not be the downfall of our race if I have anything to do about it."

"My liege." Chicory moved across the room, ready to spread the king's word when he stopped in the doorway when he heard the king speak once more.

"Borage," King Vegeta started, looking to the guard on his other side. "I want you to find whomever hired this brat to handle my drinks with his grubby little hands, and kill him."

"Of course, sir."

Smiling, Chicory left the doorway, glad they were finally becoming active in reviving the true Saiyan way of living.

The tall warrior suddenly had his thoughts interrupted, however, when a messenger pushed passed him and into the royal court, making the royal guard grunt in disapproval before continuing on his way.

"Your majesty!" The messenger yelled as he entered the room, rushing down the center before taking a knee and keeping his head down as he stated, "I bring urgent news from Planet Meat!"

"Well?" The monarch questioned, intrigued as to why such a backwater planet would be of interest to him.

"Bardock's team has been killed, sir. Our informants say there was a team dispatched to take them out… one lead by Dodoria…"

King Vegeta's eyes widened at this news, the monarch placing both his hands under his chin in thought. 'To send out one of his right hand men… I have less time than I thought… My son, forgive me for what must be done to save at least your life…'

* * *

'Oafs.'

"Look where you're going you idiot, or are you trying to pick a fight?!"

'Tyrants.'

"You better pay up soon or you won't live to see tomorrow!"

'Cowards.'

"Please, I just need a little time is all! You can take my son if you need to! He's a g-good worker!"

'Killers.'

"He sat there, beggin me to stop, so you know what I did? For a second a pulled my punch back, saw him think I was gonna let him go, in his eyes and all that… Then BAM! Split his head open! It was hilarious!"

'And prideful to boot.'

"Get out of my way, low-class scum! You should consider yourself lucky to so much as gaze upon the prince of Saiyans! Now move, my father awaits..."

'I just wish they'd all die already.'

Yuken was not a child easily impressed by Saiyans. The boy had spent his entire life surrounded by the loathsome race of beings, barely ever having gone off world and only ever as a lowly servant. He had seen the worst the Saiyans had to offer many times over, warriors that could disintegrate an entire group of soldiers with a thought and survive missing limbs like a cakewalk, all as they butchered innocents for sport.

There was none among them he would call friend nor ally. The number of the Saiyan race he counted as even half-decent was the same.

Walking through the marketplace at midday, the time it was packed to the brim with hungry, angry brutes, was something he truly detested. Despite the fact that he went even more unseen there than in the royal court, he could barely stomach the deplorable atmosphere of the monsters as they bartered and fought.

But the youth trudged along in-between the two rows of stalls and through the crowd, a brown bag slung over his shoulder and his face to the ground, determined to get to shelter before night fell and the true rabble began to stalk the planet.

Among the scores of Saiyans he wouldn't be paid any more mind than any other child would, not as long as they didn't see his eyes. He lived an invisible existence outside of the palace, something he was more than happy to maintain after early years of being treated like a detestable animal. He would watch the Saiyans and their boorish off world allies, learn from them and finally find ways to appease them, simply so that they would let him alone.

He knew better than to trust anyone after eleven years among the Saiyans.

Finally reaching the end of the sea of people, Yuken was greeted with a vast landscape of red skies, brown dirt and small, rocky outcrops, a house barely visible near the horizon line.

Holding back a sigh, the boy moved the bag to his arms and hugged it slightly before continuing his trek, the sun bearing down on the child as he continued to keep his face down out of habit.

Even beyond the markets trouble would often await anyone who wasn't careful.

Lost in his thoughts and halfway to his destination, Yuken was caught off-guard when he heard the sounds of feet shuffling to his right. Turning his head slightly, the child caught a glimpse of a clump of brown hair behind the top of large boulder before the owner of it was tugged back down harshly.

The child sighed, coming to a stop suddenly and turning to fully face the red stone and waited for the bandits to figure out he knew they were there.

"YAAAAH!" A loud battle cry erupted and Yuken was abruptly surrounded by seven, hungry-eyed thieves, each dressed in animal pelts and at least a head, if not more, shorter than him.

"Just hand over the bag and you'll walk away with a few bruises!" The apparent leader of the gang, a thin boy with a brown pony-tail and brandishing a stone knife, threatened as his allies slowly tightened the circle around their victim.

The youths all licked their lips, eyeing the dead-eyed servant's bag with unmatched keenness, their reedy tails swishing back and forth in anticipation as they closed in the circle and imagined the possible delicacies they would soon be eating.

Yuken remained still, suppressing another sigh.

"What's the matter, Snowball? Too afraid to talk! You should be with these odds!" The leader declared proudly, once again toying with his victim as he repeated as disgustedly as he could, "Huh, _Snowball_?"

Yuken doubted many people remembered the source of the nickname anymore, especially not this rickety orphan and his gang, none of them seeming to be much older than five. More than likely, they had observed one of the rougher guards mock the child as he traveled to his house. It didn't matter much either way. Yuken wasn't in the mood to play around with kids that day. Other days he might have toyed with them a bit, just so they could have their fun and then leave him alone. But not that day.

Sensing the leader about to pounce, Yuken abruptly raised his right hand and fired a kiai, sending the small child tumbling away like a tumbleweed before he came to a stop, unconscious.

Before Yuken could even turn back to his path, the rest of the children had already scampered off to check on their commander like frightened pups.

'Idiots. They'll be eaten alive if they try and keep friends on this planet.'

The young Saiyan continued on his journey, feeling the burning, angry, hungry eyes of the orphans as he continued his trek across the wasteland, tempted to look back but ultimately ignoring them and continuing forward, as always.

The rest of the boy's journey took until about sunset, nothing of note having occurred as few thieves lasted long on Planet Vegeta, no matter the age, and local wildlife had long ago learned not to even so much as look at Saiyans if they wished to survive.

Finally having reached his destination, Yuken looked up to the silhouette of a rickety, dilapidated, two story shack that stood above the ground, thin wooden columns holding it high above a long ago dried riverbank. The wood was slowly chipping off due to years of neglect and the beatings of an unforgiving ecosystem, the structure moaning and creaking under its own weight as it struggled to stand every moment of its existence.

The boy carried on, walking under the house to the other side, slowly floating up to the deck and landing with a soft pat, immediately retrieving a black bottle of liquor from his brown bag and holding it out.

Sitting on the deck in a rocking chair as worn as his house was a bulky Saiyan with short black hair and a thick black beard, lost in thought. The man sat, dead-eyed, looking passed his son and out into the sunset, his mind focused on memories of glorious battles from years ago.

Yuken gave the black bottle a light shake and the sloshing sound caused his father to flinch out of his dreams, blinking twice before reaching forward and grabbing the bottle from the royal servant. The Saiyan then proceeded to chug its contents down with his eyes closed as some the alcohol splashed onto his old, brown shirt.

The man pulled the bottle from his lips, letting the alcohol flood his system as Yuken stood silently, awaiting a response.

A harsh yet lazy slap to the cheek sent the child flying into a wall, the entire structure moaning and shaking but somehow remaining standing. Yuken sat up, suppressing the urge to rub his cheek as the burly Saiyan took another swig from his bottle.

"You were late."

A silence seemed to consume the world, the warrior soaking in his own words, almost looking at his son for a moment, before memories of glorious battle consumed his mind once more.

Yuken had left with nary a word, face down as he entered the kitchen to find it filled with flying insects as per usual. These tiny creatures, upon picking up the scent of a Saiyan, abruptly seemed to scatter in fear as the youth slowly made his way over to the pantry.

The boy opened the door and entered the large space, closing the door behind him as he closed his eyes and let the cool air wrap around him for a minute or so. Opening his eyes once more, the boy found the room insufficiently stocked as usual, only a few loaves of bread present, and finally let out the sigh he had been holding back.

Once Yuken had left the pantry, the storage space's shelves now empty, he found his father standing in the doorway to the deck, breathing heavily as he used the doorframe to support himself.

For an instant, the pair made eye contact.

"Did you go and eat… all my food again?" The baritone barbarian inquired, the bottle in his hand quivering slightly.

Yuken maintained his stare, holding back a mountain of thoughts and slurs, before turning away silently and making his way to the stairs.

"…What do you think you're doing?! Turning your back on me?!" The brute yelled, leaving the deck's space for the first time that week, his eyes filled with rage. "I am General Kale! I have an army at my fingertips, you brat! …No! I had them! But you disgraced, tainted our bloodline! I should have let you starve when that damned cow left you on the-"

Kale's left knee gave out, forcing the giant to the floor as his son reached the top of the stairs, the former general seething as pain traveled up and down his body, thoughts of murder and rampage entering his savage mind.

Yuken fell down onto an old mattress, his armour next to him and his eyes closed as he forced himself to sleep once more despite the hour.

After what felt like ages, Yuken heard what seemed to be his father finally getting back to his feet and immediately returning to his chair on the deck, most likely watching as the light of a half-full moon began to fill the planet.

Yuken lay on his bed, unmoving after hours, going through a mental routine of avoiding any ruffians he could when he was next in the palace.

He had gained the king's attention, and worse his ire, the first time that day. If Vegeta started asking questions about Yuken, it wouldn't turn out well for the latter. The boy just hoped he could continue his silent existence until his chance to escape without notice came. Even death was beginning to seem a decent alternative to living around the horrible brutes.

Morning seemed to come with a vengeance, light streaming in from a large hole in the roof and landing harshly on the boy's eyelids.

The youth's eyes slowly opened, the child lying on his mattress a moment longer before forcing himself up and putting on his armour. It was early, as usual when he woke up, and he would most likely arrive at the palace just before everyone else, hopefully with enough time to reach his position next to the throne and thus avoid any scuffles.

No one had spoken inside the court without cause since the last time the king entered and found the room abuzz with chatter, firing a warning shot through someone's head and sending a clear message about talking that stuck with his soldiers.

Pulling his armour on, the child let his blue cape flutter behind him as he turned to exit his room and reach the stairs. The sounds of snoring reached his ears not soon after, Yuken peaking down and finding Kale asleep at the table, a half-eaten boar-like creature before him. The preteen felt his eyes go wide in surprise at this, his father barely ever hunting anymore, but thoughts of nourishment soon overpowered his shock.

The youth picked off what meat he could and turned to leave silently, his father eyeing the child soberly for the first time in years as the boy left through the front. The Saiyan warrior felt the need to socialize, to talk to someone, brewing within his mind. By the time he had blinked, his son was gone and the need left him, replaced by a never-ending thirst.

Kale sat down in his chair outside once more, tempted to rock it back and forth but having the smallest bit of sense to realize his seat would shatter if he did so. Instead, the former general took the bottle his son had brought yesterday and chugged down the remainder of its contents, letting fantasies consume his mind once more.

The desert landscape seemed to have grown larger overnight, the poor morning light hiding the capital city beyond the horizon, but Yuken simply walked forward, knowing exactly where he was headed. His mind was already on autopilot, going through ideas and mannerisms of how to stay hidden. It had become second nature at this point, to turn his mind off regarding unnecessary things. One had time to learn such things after being alone for so long.

Yuken stopped suddenly, his brain alerting him that something was out of his routine. For a moment the boy thought he had forgotten something in his room but after a quick mental check he was certain he had brought everything he needed. The child stroked his hair and tail, finding no trace of dye on his hands. Still walking and attempting to remain calm, Yuken looked around inconspicuously, the realization striking him suddenly.

Yuken was in the marketplace at the beginning of shopping hours, yet no noise reached the boy's ears, neither were any traders or customers in sight. The stalls hadn't even been so much as set up.

Mind attempting to put things together, the preteen abruptly noticed two shadows at the end of the district. Yuken squinted a moment before gasping, the two Saiyans seeming to teleport in front of the youth, smirks on their faces and their arms folded as they stared the boy down.

Recognizing the two soldiers, Yuken took a step back unconsciously and the pair's smiles grew, the trio of Saiyans' blue capes flapping in the wind.

"No witnesses…" Chicory stated, pointing his thumb to the empty district behind him.

"…for the beginning," Borage finished for his ally, cracking his knuckles as the boy began shivering.

"B-beginning of what?" Yuken cursed himself mentally for stuttering but he found himself unable to stop shaking with such vastly superior opponents before him. Out of his scores of bullies, Chicory and Borage were the only two to find never ending enjoyment in torturing the youth, never letting a possible moment of causing pain slip from their grasp.

"Beginning of the half-breed purge of course!" Chicory declared, elated as he spread his arms, his partner simply shaking his head at the display but maintaining a smile nonetheless. "We're finally getting rid of you freaks, and we don't want the word getting around too fast, so we 'suggested' that the traders here take a day off."

Pulling his ally back, Borage looked down at a now truly frightened Yuken as he stated, "But since you've been such a good sport these past couple of years, you're gonna get some special treatment. Your choice: A free punch on one of us or a few seconds head start."

Yuken could feel his eyes welling up as fears and thoughts he'd long since tried to bury began to surface. The boy had always told himself he wouldn't fear death, he'd welcome it as an alternative, he would go down fighting if it came down to it to deny any Saiyans the satisfaction of seeing him cower… But seeing those eyes, knowing how they would drag it out…

Yuken turned on his heels and took flight towards the city, hearing the Saiyans cackle at his cowardice. Yuken didn't pay attention, adrenaline fueling his every thought and movement as he looked for some sort of escape. He had tried fighting the two before and earned a broken arm. He tried fighting back again and got a damaged vertebra. Then a snapped ankle, then a singed tail, then almost lost an eye permanently. Eventually, they had beaten the fear into him.

Buildings and skyscrapers flew behind him at incredible speed as Yuken attempted escape, knowing his pursuers were still hot on his tail. But they wouldn't try anything, not when others could see out their apartments or through the window of a bar, the only two types of buildings that really composed the city center apart from the king's palace.

If people saw palace guards do something like that, questions would be asked and if there was one thing that was hard to quell it would be the interests of a group of Saiyans.

No, the brutes would corner him off somewhere and kill him slowly but quietly.

A snarl reached Yuken's ears and he abruptly increased his flight speed, swearing he could feel a hand almost clasp his heel at the last second.

Sweat pouring down the youth's forehead, his eyes searched rapidly for an escape route. If he just kept flying around aimlessly, they'd corner him eventually. He needed a destination, or at least a distraction.

Every scouter in the city seemed to go off abruptly, Saiyans of all ages and sizes checking the advanced tool to make sure it wasn't broken, Chicory and Borage included. Being without a scouter himself, Yuken took advantage of this sudden opportunity and turned abruptly, his would-be killers noticing this a moment too late and grunting as they did the same and attempted to catch up once more.

Breathing rapidly, the boy's eyes scanned streets and buildings he'd never seen before at a rapid pace, looking for something, anything that would mean safety. Suddenly, a Space Pod Bay seemed to answer his desperate calls, making itself known in his peripheral vision. Turning rapidly, much to his pursuers charge in, the boy sped towards the bay at top speed, eyeing an empty pod next to a tall Saiyan as he fiddled with his blaring scouter angrily.

Landing with a loud thud, Yuken fired a blast at the surprised Saiyan, knocking him off the platform, and entered the warrior's space pod in a panic. Unfamiliar with the technology, Yuken began rapidly pushing every button he could find, his teeth clenched and eyelids shuddering as he felt his pursuers grow closer every second.

Finally, the spacecraft roared to life and burst off its perch into the unknown, Yuken leaning back into his seat and sighing in relief as finally felt his heartbeat subside.

Growling, Borage stared as the pod entered the lower atmosphere at high speeds, knowing they'd never get the child now. King Vegeta would surely have their heads for this failure.

Chicory, for his part, was not giving up so easily.

"Not so fast, you little brat!" The Saiyan whispered as he aimed and then fired a high-speed blast that struck the spherical craft with great force, damaging the exterior.

Yuken, never having space traveled before, chalked the sudden impact up to turbulence of a sort and soon leaned back in his seat once more, trying to come to terms with the new world before him and the old world behind him.

"At the very least, that thing'll fly in for repairs somewhere. Then we'll find him…" Chicory declared to his still disgruntled partner, both of them knowing the excuse would not suffice for King Vegeta. Their monarch would not tolerate any sort of failure at so crucial a time in their revolution.

Before Borage could say a word in response, he felt an odd sensation creep all around him, his scouter beeping ferociously and exploding soon after. Both Saiyans gasped suddenly, feeling the world around them become a furnace as they looked up and witnessed the skies of Planet Vegeta slowly turn a deep orange.

* * *

With a power unseen in decades Planet Vegeta was struck, the gigantic orb of energy burrowing straight through the planet's crust with little effort, swallowing up cities as it continued its war path. In but a few short moments, the ball of death had reached the planet's core, the earthquakes that followed soon after splintering the entire planet as if it were glass. Saiyans panicked, confused and astonished as their world came apart at the seams, tremors opening up deep crevices that reached to the planet's core, bathing the surface in an ominous glow.

Unable to hold the pressure back anymore, Planet Vegeta's core reached critical mass, expanding rapidly and devouring all that surrounded it, chunks of the world flying off as the grand finale brewed under what little surface remained, much to Frieza's delight.

"Look at it, Zarbon! Dodoria! Isn't it marvelous?! This may be my finest work yet!" The horned tyrant declared, laughing darkly as he soaked in the horror before him, imagining the screams of all the valiant warriors as they cursed his name. "Ha ha ha! Good riddance to bad rubbish, I always say!"

All still aboard the crazed being's ship looked on in awe at the display of power, never having seen a planet filled to the brim with such powerful warriors succumb and burn away so quickly. It was simply another reminder of their leader's terrifying power.

In a final explosion that rocked the stars themselves, Planet Vegeta faded from existence, the Saiyan population singed away like a bad memory and not even a single rock remaining as a reminder of their presence. Frieza stayed a moment longer, reveling in his own, awesome might as he felt a weight lift off of him and doubts fly away.

There was still some work to be done as no doubt a decent number of Saiyans were still off world when he attacked. Frieza would need to spread rumors, perhaps say an impossibly large meteor struck an unprepared populace… yes that would work. Any survivors would come to his forces willingly, seeking a new place to call home as recompense for their services. Any who were smart enough to figure the truth would be captured or killed in time, once he put a large enough prices on their heads.

'As long as I get to have my own bit of fun, the rest of the Saiyans can simply drop dead for all I care. If there was indeed some "Legendary Super Saiyan" who would come into being, they're most certainly dead now.' The tyrant thought to himself in delight, directing his chair to float back down into the center of the room below, a dark smile on his face as he did so. 'And toying with Vegeta and his little friends will be such fun. I may have just started the most entertaining game of my life!'

The laugh of a madman filled the halls of Frieza's capital ship, seeming to echo out into the void as the universe shivered from the ripple effects of the Arcosian's actions. The Saiyans were no more, a relief to some and a great obstacle to others. In time, two sides would be chosen over how the planet met its end and why the Saiyans suddenly had prices on their heads, it mattered little in the long run, however. Frieza and his men were the only one's recorded as near enough to witness the event, and all testified seeing an asteroid do the Saiyans in.

One being, however, would have told a different story if given the chance, an unknown viewer never recorded to have even have existed.

A boy named Yuken.


	2. The Long Road Ahead

**A/N: Mainly for current readers: After some consulting with a fellow author, I decided to fuse chapters 1 and 2 together into a whole chapter, while changing the ending to what was two slightly.**

 **Chapter 2**

 **A Long Road Ahead**

* * *

The child, along with everyone else who had spent so much as a day in King Vegeta's court, was well aware that Frieza would strike sooner or later. The Saiyans secretly expected him to send in the Ginyu Force, a long and hard battle sure to rock the planet but in the end, war would finally break out after their defeat. Using the confusion of widespread battle, Yuken planned to make his escape into the shadows then.

At first, he had thought this to be a waste of an escape, the Saiyans sure to follow him… but now they were all gone.

Yuken had expected to feel joy on top of his relief, thought he would feel then need to turn the ship back to curse their graves. Instead he simply felt empty.

The boy had no friends on Planet Vegeta, anywhere even. All his most hated enemies were surely dead and he was far safer than ever before. All he needed to do was wash off his hair dye and he could easily slip away from any of Frieza's patrols and begin life anew.

"Alone," Yuken surprised himself, having voiced a nagging thought out loud, one he couldn't deny after even a moment's analysis. He was one of a kind now, sure to be the last survivor of Planet Vegeta, living in a world that hunted him. At least the Saiyans would protect their own from harm if it meant saving their race's pride from embarrassment, of that he was sure. But there was no one to protect him now. He was shackled to the Saiyan people and their reputation and in time, he too would be found out.

Looking out at the stars as they flew by faster than one could blink, the child suddenly found himself forcing a smile, the sensation on his face one he had not felt for the longest time.

"I don't care if they come after me. I'll fight them off, I'll win! I finally have a chance to be happy! To have a life…" Yuken stared down for a moment before staring at the endless possibilities before him, clenching his fists as he declared, "I'll survive, no matter what… I've earned this chance, and no one's going to take it away from me…"

Unfamiliar with Space Pod technology, Yuken was taken aback when a transparent white gas slowly filled the chamber, the youth growing drowsy as the craft redirected its course away from its original destination and towards the nearest station, requiring urgent repairs.

Feeling his eyelids grow far too heavy to keep open, Yuken let sleep take him as he gave the stars one last, longing look, certain a happy life awaited him somewhere in the galaxy.

A harsh thud awakened Yuken, the boy's eyes fluttering open as the anesthetic wore off. Shaking his head to relieve himself of the last of the gas's effects, the half Saiyan leaned forward and looked to either side of him, finding only grey smoke surrounding his ship. Scratching the back of his head, Yuken reached for what seemed to be the door release when the sounds of boots on metal made the child pull his hand back at the last second.

"Who the heck is in there?!" Yuken could barely hear whoever was in charge, but by the number of footsteps and mutters he heard, it was easy to tell the man was not alone.

"We have no idea, Corporal Cui! The pod's records were severely damaged, sir!"

"It looks like it came here automatically for repairs, Corporal!"

"Hmm…" The mystery man paused, Yuken growing nervous, catching his reflection in the glass before him, his dye still completely visible. They would instantly recognize him as a Saiyan with his tail and hair colour, and the infamous brand of armour did little to help.

"Keep an eye on that door. When it opens, be ready to blast anyone who comes out to smithereens! I have a weird feeling about this one…"

Yuken panicked as the smoke began to fade away, the child rapidly pressing buttons once more until the engine roared to life for a moment and hovered in place for a second or so, the smoke the damaged transport released doubling as a result of the start failure.

Yuken's heart rate reached a new height as the pod fell a short distance, hearing the men outside coughing up a storm from the smoke invading their lungs.

"Damn it! I can't see a thing!" A soldier declared, irritated.

"He's trying to get away! You know where the pod is! Open fire already!" Cui commanded, Yuken knowing he had no further choice in the matter if he wished to survive.

He simply hoped the smoke would hold out.

The group of soldiers were caught off-guard as their target abruptly jumped through the pod's glass, spinning around a second later and firing off a small blast that struck his space craft. The smoke, now black in colour, erupted and began consuming the deck, the small explosion causing a few of the warriors to stumble and fall back.

Still coughing relentlessly, Cui battled to so much as open an eye, the teenager struggling to hold back a gasp as he glimpsed a furry tail right before his eyes. Instinct kicked in as the appendage was swallowed by the smoke once more, the corporal reaching out as fast as he could, feeling the fur graze his glove.

The warrior's growing smirk instantly faded, however, when he closed his hand a moment too late and only managed to pluck a single hair from the tail.

Cui growled in anger as the Saiyan youth yelped in surprise, the soldier firing a weak blast to clear away the smoke, finding only confused soldiers before him once the smog was gone. Raising an eyebrow, Cui caught sight of the platform doors closing automatically in his peripheral vision, the soldier quickly realizing what had happened.

"Sound the alarm! There's an intruder in the base! It's a dirty Saiyan!" Cui declared, clenching his fists as his cronies bumbled about, using their scouters to alert anyone they could. Meanwhile, the purple alien strode towards the same doors his prey had gone through, thinking to himself, 'No way are you getting away from me! Your head is my ticket to the top and I'm not letting that chance slip away…'

'Water!'

Yuken's legs felt like jelly, his heart trying to tear itself out of his chest as he ran, the boy's mind going a million miles an hour.

'Water!'

A small blur ran by a large number of soldiers, the aliens pausing in their idle talk to simply make out a child, chalking it up to some brat running from a superior to avoid some sort of punishment. Once the message of a Saiyan intruder began to spread, however, the troops started running down the hallway at full speed as well, a hungry look in their eyes as they gave chase.

'Water!'

Yuken rounded a corner, catching a glimpse of directional signs now and again, doing his best to navigate the military compound as fast as he could. He could feel the eyes, hear the alerts, smell the anger and bloodlust in the air. They were after him and they could easily pick him out among the other troops. What awaited him afterwards, he had no idea.

'Where is it?!'

The clamber of military boots began to echo in the hallway before him, the youth coming to an abrupt halt, panting as he heard the same number of troops, if not more, rushing in from behind. Yuken looked to both sides, pupils dilating as he got ready to fight to his last breath, already knowing the odds.

The boy's eyes, at the last second, alerted him to a metal chute to his right. Without even waiting a moment, Yuken dived in, his tail disappearing as the first soldier turned the corner formerly behind him.

"Where'd he go?!" The horned, green, rhino-like creature inquired angrily, several soldiers bumping into his back and all feeling the same irritation as they saw the other platoon round the corner before them.

"I don't know," a yellow-skinned being began, clenching his fist as he walked forward and stared the other group down. "But that Saiyan is ours! So you nobodies can head back to your quarters!"

"Why you…" A blue, orange-haired creature fumed as the green commander replied.

"That fifty million is ours, Orlen! If you want it, you'll have to get through me!"

"Then it's as good as mine already! Get 'em!"

A moment later and the small hallway was a cluster of fighting, soldiers of all ranks and builds duking it out as they attempted to lay claim to the yet to be captured prey. Several members in the brawl soon noticed a pair of eyes peeking out of the incinerator chute, but found a fist in their jaw before they could speak up, anger erasing the pivotal memory.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yuken closed the flap before him and leaned against the small wall behind him in an attempt to catch his breath, struggling to do so in the dark space. Escape artistry was not the child's forte, so he knew it was only a matter of time before his luck ran out. He needed to, ironically, remove his disguise to disguise himself.

Unsure of whether up or down was right option, the child received a clear message as the temperature around him began to rise, the youth looking down to see a red glow slowly creeping up the chute.

Realizing just what he had jumped into, Yuken quickly flew upwards, traveling several floors for safety's sake before cautiously exiting into what seemed to be an empty hallway.

Glad to be out of the confined space, Yuken once again checked his sides for danger before spying a bathroom out the corner of his eye, a rare smile appearing on his face for but a second as he calmly walked down the passage and curled his tail around his waist. It would do little to help fool anyone at this stage, but it was better than nothing.

Cautiously, Yuken pushed the bathroom door open, glancing around before entering and softly closing the door behind him. Giving the room a better look, the child listened intently as he went on his knees and looked under the stalls, relieved to find no one relieving themselves.

Yuken walked up to the nearest sink, sighing deeply as he looked at himself in the mirror.

'I look like a Saiyan alright. Time to change that.'

Letting his thoughts drift away, Yuken uncurled his tail and placed the tip of it in the sink, letting some warm water run on it before rubbing on it with bottom of his cape. Satisfied when he saw the brown colour slowly fade away into a lighter shade, a white tip or two barely visible, the hybrid was about to increase the force he was using when he suddenly froze.

A loud flushing sound and a relieved sigh reached the boy's ears, the demi-Saiyan slowly turning his head as he saw two dainty feet in white boots land on the bathroom floor. Yuken could only curse his luck as he heard the small alien struggle to open the stall door's lock, before achieving his goal and opening the door.

The imp-like alien walked out, carrying a newspaper, and was dressed in white cadet armour that covered his green skin. Stretching his back, the young soldier's top right eye happened upon something, the ball-like alien jumping in fright as he turned to see, with all four eyes, a young Saiyan standing by a sink, tail in hand and a look of surprise on his face.

The two aliens stared at one another for ages, scared out of their minds, only the sound of running warm water filling the room. The pair seemed to gulp almost simultaneously, Yuken removing his tail from the sink and the cadet cautiously reaching for his green scouter.

"Just… err… wanna check your power level, if that's okay?" The green alien asked politely, shivering like a leaf as his hand grew ever closer to the scouter. "It's not often I-I get to m-meet a Saiyan, ya know?"

"Of course," Yuken replied, taking a step back as he moved his hand behind his back and slowly charged a white orb.

The pair of youths smiled at each other, their hearts palpitating at insane speeds as the green alien's hand grew ever closer to his ear.

The quiet sound of an energy ball, however, caught the cadet off-guard and he panicked, practically yanking the device off his ear and yelling into it as loudly as he could, "HELP! THE SAIYAN IS RIGHT IN FR-"

Before he could utter a syllable further, the small creature was shoved into the wall behind him at neck break speed, the following controlled explosion knocking him unconscious and bursting a pipe open that covered the poor cadet in freezing water

About to catch his breath, Yuken could hear murmurs from the soldier's undamaged scouter as it lay on the floor.

" _Cadet Guldo come in! Cadet Guldo! Get a squad up to his location, now!"_

Yuken burst out of the bathroom, running once more as he muttered a string of curses under his breath. A number of endless hallways greeted the child once more as he struggled to navigate the compound, rounding a corner to find two soldiers waiting for him.

"Don't move or I'll open fire!" A humanoid soldier commanded, raising a blaster and aiming it at the youth's head. Meanwhile his comrade, a purple alien with an elongated head, stood at the ready to tackle the boy at a moment's notice.

Looking between the guards, Yuken could think of no better plan as his mind panicked.

Screaming in frustration, the child released a wall of energy from his body, the shield catching the duo off-guard and forced the purple alien back while the soldier got his hand incinerated, the helmet-wearing man screaming in agony as his target shot up through the ceiling.

Surprisingly, Yuken found himself outside, deducing he must have been on the top floor of the structure. The boy suppressed a gasp, looking forward to an orange horizon, the sun gently setting behind the sandy dunes of a vast desert landscape as far as the eye could see, dark shadows mixing in with light brown sand. The child turned around, expecting to see the same landscape but was surprised to find the opposite. Now before him was a vast, lush, green jungle with the echoes of small creatures getting ready for the night reaching his ears. Rivers twisted and turned in-between trees possible as old as the planet itself.

Nestled between these two biomes was a slim city that seemed to travel the planet's equator, hustle and bustle about even at this late hour. The people in those streets could move about as they wished, think as they wished and acted according to their wants, not having fears of bullies or warriors breathing down their necks day in and day out.

The boy's heart thumped rapidly in his chest once more, but no longer out of fear. Burying unwanted emotions, Yuken declared, "So… this is what freedom feels like…"

"There he is!"

"Get him!"

Not even sparing a second glance, Yuken sped downwards as a cluster of warriors followed after him, Cui at the head of the group and his teeth bared in rage.

The young Saiyan sped forward with renewed vigor, a number of civilians gasping as the boy flew by, followed by several of their oppressors. The youth muttered a curse once more as he flew by a number of street vendors, turning his body as he flew so he was belly-up. Abruptly, Yuken fired a weak blast at the ground that threw up a column of smoke and caused an uproar of frightened screams.

Several soldiers flew straight through the cloud to find a fork in the road, grunting in frustration before they turned left. Cui's squadron had, however, flown over the dust cloud, the purple youth smirking darkly as he chased down his target once more.

'Faster!'

The boy's heart raced, a pod hangar just before him, an open ship sitting on a platform his last chance of escape.

'FASTER!'

The youth's legs screamed in agony as fear crept up and down his spine, the day's tension slowly gnawing away at his psyche.

'FASTER DAMN IT!'

The pod was a few feet away, several engineers lifting their welding masks and yelling at the boy to back off.

'NOT WHEN I'M SO CLOSE!'

Tears in his eyes, the child began to reach out, struggling to find the focus to fly as he forced himself forward, his tail thrashing in anticipation.

'I WON'T LET THEM TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME!'

The boy's hand, a mere inch away from the open pod door, suddenly went limp. Visions of the beautiful biomes he had seen moments before seemingly fading from his memory. Acceptance slowly seeped in as he was yanked away from his escape, his captor chuckling maniacally as he threw him to the feet of several other chuckling guards.

Still feeling weak, Yuken looked up to see Cui smiling down at him, a white-tipped, brown tail in hand as the teen declared, "You should really learn to train this thing, or it could be the death of you."


End file.
